Re: The wheel reinvention mystery

On Thu, Sep 21, 2006, Omer Zak wrote about "[hackers-il] The wheel reinvention mystery":
> A recent argument in Hamakor prompted me to consider the general
> question why would people sometimes prefer not to reinvent the wheel,
> and why would they be enthusiastic about reinventing the wheel.
> 
> http://tddpirate.livejournal.com/63135.html

I posted my opinion on your post in your blog (under the heading "you're
a bit confused" :-) ).

Unlike you, the same Hamakor thread prompted me to ponder on a different
topic - one that I raised on this list a few months ago. This is the question
of how come every time that somebody uses "security" as a reason for some
action (or inaction), people immediately take this as an acceptable
explanation, even if it completely unfounded.

Also, people also tend about security as a binary thing, either there is
"security" or there is "no security", and obviously "security" is better
than "no security". In reality security is a broad spectrum, and there is
*always* a tradeoff betwen more security at the cost of more money / less
functionality / less convenience.

In my previous post on the subject I gave a few real-world examples of
people's awe and blind acceptance at the face of "security excuses".
Your post is unfortunately another example - where you blindly accept
from the "security" as a good excuse from the "first volunteer", for why we
should accept the system he designed, even if it doesn't do what we need
it to do.

Recently, I saw two more real-world examples of this phenomenon:

1. The interview system for the US visas. (only people who've been through
   this ordeal will understand what I mean).

   They tell you they are doing this because of "9/11". Really? Then why
   are all the questions aimed at catching people planning to illegally
   *work* (not bomb) in the US? Why do people in countries (e.g., Europe)
   from where illegal immigrants do not often come, but bombers *do* and
   *have* come, are exempt from these visa requirements?
   Does the excuse of "security" really explain why the US embassy treats
   in such an inexcusable inhumane manner all applicants, sending them on
   wild goose chases of Internet sites, filling forms, collecting documents,
   post office branches, payments of various kinds (some you can ONLY do in
   cash, some you can ONLY do in credit cards), standing in lines for
   hours upon hours?

2. A certain office building in Tel-Aviv requires everyone entering to pass
   through two metal detectors *and* give their driver license at the
   reception. They *say* this promotes security. But does it? Would a
   terrorist (or lowly thief) have a really hard time giving the busy
   receptionist a fake or stolen id? In a building where you can park your
   car bomb below, would a terrorist really try to bring metal with him
   to the lobby?

   Instead, what happens is that getting into this building is a real
   nuicence, often taking many minutes. Not to mention that giving some
   unknown receptionist my driver license is a *security risk* for me -
   who know what this receptionist can do with it, or what kind of
   simple "social engineering" can be used to get him to give over my id
   to a thief?


-- 
Nadav Har'El                        |        Friday, Sep 22 2006, 29 Elul 5766
nyh-TS7m/[email protected]             |-----------------------------------------
Phone +972-523-790466, ICQ 13349191 |Someone offered you a cute little quote
http://nadav.harel.org.il           |for your signature? JUST SAY NO!


 
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